Why did you take up nursing? What's your story?

Every nurse has their own story to tell about how or why they chose to enter the nursing profession. Some may have been inspired by a personal experience with healthcare, while others may have been drawn to the idea of caring for others. Some may have stumbled upon nursing by chance, while others knew from a young age that it was their calling. Whatever the reason, each nurse has a unique narrative that led them to become a caregiver. These stories are a testament to the diversity and passion within the nursing community and the profound impact that healthcare can have on our lives.

Please be as detailed or as short as you wish. It'll be interesting to hear everyone's stories.

Specializes in Pediatric Intensive Care, Long Term care.

p.s.....sorry for the typos guys..i suck at typing fast

Specializes in OR.

First of all I have to say my mom is a nurse and I grew up in the breakrooms of the hospital and nurses were just part of my life . My mom would have me suit up in some scrubs and help her stock meds and linens. I will never forget those times with mom and I knew nursing was going to be apart of me forever and effect me later in life. My mom had a horrible accident that involved a horse and major head injury . I remember seeing my mom sprawled out on the street less then a mile from her house she had a grand mal seizure infront of me and I thought she had died. The horse fell on top of her crushing her head into the street her helmet split up the side of her head . She was rushed to the hospital and laid in a coma for a few days . I kept a bedside vigil for the next couple days finally she woke up . I remember watching the nurses rushing up and down the halls with a paper trail following behind them admitting and discharging patients. O God I thought these nurses are so over worked and pre occupied with other patients besides my mom. No techs were available to give showers or anything . My mom was in need of a shower badly , a very kind nurse who was obviously busy offered a shower for my mom but I had realized she was really busy . And jumped in got my mom up and in that shower chair everybody stopped and stared as I wheeled my 15 year veteran nurse mom up that long hallway .Wow I was in tears all the time because she was so dependent on me that day she had always been my rock and now I was her rock of support and protection . I knew that nursing was in my blood and couldn't ignore what I was destined to be . From that moment on in my life I knew I wanted to a nurse and that vigil and taking care of my mom when she was the weakest . My mom is now okay and made a complete recovery and is still a nurse.

I was a second degree nurse, with a former career in marketing and PR. However, as time went on, I became suffocated by having to spend so much time on a computer, just emailing, basically, for a living. I mean -- I enjoyed my work, but all I DID was sit at that computer! I wanted a career that was active and hands on. I wanted something where I was doing something significant and not something just tied to increasing the bottom line. Oddly enough, my first job in PR was with GM -- SO thankful I left that company years ago.

I had always done well in biology and anatomy in high school, but never did well in chemistry, so I assumed I could never be a nurse, so I didn't pursue it. I wish SO badly I would have done it earlier in life. (I went to nsg school at the age of 42).

I was also a military wife for many years, and always had a tough time finding a job in my former field. We'd move every 2-3 years, , and it would take me a year to find a quality job and then hubby would get orders AGAIN. The day that I attended a nursing recruiting event after I'd earned my BSN and had 20+ nursing managers all swarming around me, handing me their cards, trying to persuade ME to come to their unit . . . in a strange way, I felt like a movie star!! I just felt so good to be wanted, and needed and to have MY pick of jobs!

Now, although nursing is about the toughest job I've ever done (next to child rearing), I am SO excited to have a career that I can do until the day I am no longer physically or mentally able to work. Age will not matter. I have so many options available to me, I am not hampered by anyting other than my own limitations. For a middle aged woman with not a lot of former job experience, this is a wonderful position to be in. Career woes no more -- my only challenge is choosing WHICH field of nursing to go in next. I happily look forward to the next 15 years or more, and am considering applying to grad school to be a NP.

My husband has been deployed twice, also, to Iraq these past six years and I had to face the realization that he may or may not make it back. It could happen to any woman at any time. I think ALL women need to find work and be able to support themselves. I'm glad I have something that I can make a living at, in case anything ever happened to him. I know many women my age who have never worked and rely on their husbands just a bit too much. I don't want to ever be in that boat.

Anyway, long winded -- but I DO feel nursing is a fantastic 2nd career for anyone, and I hope to combine my former degree with nursing in some way in the future.

I believe I took up nursing to save my sons life......but I didn't know it then.

I had been a stay at home mom to 3 kids for almost 10 years. Yes, I was so glad I could do this but I was also so bored.

When they all started school, I began pre nursing classes. I had never worked in the medical feild before. I loved it and graduated as an RN in 2005.

I began working on a med-surg/onc floor right after graduating. This was alot to learn, lots of sick cancer patients, lots of meds, lots to know.

One day I noticed my youngest son (age 10 at the time) "didn't look right." His belly was distended and he had not been eating well all week. He reminded me of pt's I had on the onc floor. One Fri night I made him go to the ER. I forced him to go, he didn't want to. I told the ER doc that my son had been having trouble keeping down fluid/food for one week and that his abd was distended.

Well, it turned out to be Lymphoma (with tumors in the abd.) He was diagnosed with Burkits lymphoma, an agressive cancer that can doubble in size about every 24 hours. They started chemo right away and my son went into tumor lysis syndrome. He almost died from the high K levels. He was in ICU for a week, and finally made it to the floor for chemo. He had 4 months of chemo and survived.

So I know In my heart......That was the reason God wanted me to become a nurse, to recoginze his s/s,to get him the proper tx, and to ultmately save his life. I believe this with all of my heart. I became a nurse to save my son.

I'm 26 and got laid off... I was miserable for the past yr at my work sitting at my desk asking me if this is my life and if I went to college to surf the internet and deal with b***y fashionistas who think they're better than you... I rather deal with life as it happens and not read about it on the internet... I have a long way to go.. hopefully the job market picks up when I graduate a program.

Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

I have always thought that someday I would become a nurse. My mother is a nurse, my grandmother is a nurse, my aunt is a nurse, and my cousin is a nurse. So, you see, it's in my blood.

In 2002 I took a job as a patient care tech in the ICU and IMCU in a small local hospital. I wanted to gain some experience before going to nursing school. About a month after starting my new position I was assigned the patient that no one else wanted. We will call him Mr. B for HIPPA purposes.

I refer to Mr. B as the patient no one wanted because he really was a nightmare to deal with. He was stubborn and just plain mean! Mr. B would curse anyone who set foot in his room especially the nurses and care staff. I dreaded what I might hear when I walked through his door, but I kept a smile just the same. I must admit that the care that I provided to Mr. B was better care than I gave my less difficult patients, even though he scared the crap out of me.

I remember one afternoon while I was helping him to the bedside commode, as he was cursing me, he said, "it's a d*** shame that a grown man can't s*** by himself". Those words, as horrible as they may have been, were the key to understanding this man. At that moment I knew why he was the way he was, and I didn't say a word. It was his pride that was causing the entire ruckus. So, after I cleaned him up and got him back in his bed, I looked him straight in the face...as he was still cursing me...and said, "Listen! One day someone might have to help me the way I'm helping you, and I would rather it be someone like me....so just let me help you". From that moment on, anytime Mr. B needed something, he called me.

As time went by, his condition continued to deteriorate. My last interaction with Mr. B. was when I was called to take some ice chips to him. As I put the cup down on his bedside table he grabbed my arm...startling me, as I knew his nature..."Thank you". "You're welcome", I said smiling politely. He shook my arm and squeezed more tightly, "No....thank you." At that moment, I knew that I was meant to be a nurse.

When I returned to work for my next scheduled shift, I noticed that Mr. B's room was empty. My heart sank, because I knew what had happened. Seven years have passed since that day, but I will never forget Mr. B and the impact he has made in my life. His last words motivate me to be the first to volunteer for the most difficult patients. I want to be the kind of nurse that masters the art, not just the science of the profession.

I will finally be an RN in December!

I became a nurse because we needed one in the family. I am the first.

I wanted to be a nurse because my dad is stubborn.

Before nursing school, he would rarely take his medication, his diet was poor full of fatty unhealthy food, and rarely exercises.

I wanted to help my family, especially my dad. Currently his kidneys are at stage 3 and will need dialysis if he gets to 5... so I am trying really hard to keep him on track.

I was a cop for 7 years and was injured on the job. 9mm gsw to the right hand :cry:. After 2 surgeries a total of 10hrs. I thought i was good to go back to work. I was told be the Docs and the system that this was not going to happen! So I spent the next 2yrs trying to prove that I could still .do the job. I learned how to shoot with the other hand and spent countless hrs. Training lifting and getting my self ready to go. Even after all of this and getting my Doc to lower the disability from 80% to 50%. I was sent a letter that you are no loger being considered for reenstatement. Effective immeadiatly you are retired! Not a happy day for me:banghead:. i spent the next coupleof years doing construction. Which a hated. My brother has been a nurse for 20 yrs. He knew i had a bunch of credits and talked me into going back to school! So far it has been a great choice. Many of the skills you use in police work you use as a nurse! Plus I like to help people. So hear I am and i am happy to be hear!!:yeah:

My story is pretty short and simple. My mom got diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 breast cancer when I was 13 yrs. old. I saw everything that she had to go through, chemo, bone infusions, oxygen...(cancer spread everywhere, obviously) I graduated high school in 2001. (my mom did see me graduate :) ) then I went to college. I originally wanted to go into medicine b/c I was gong-ho about curing cancer and saving everyone. When I realized that the doctors weren't the caring compassionate ones in the hospital, it was the nurses. So I changed my major to nursing and my mom was proud of me. Unfortunately, she passed away Sept. 23, 2003. It was a Tuesday, at 2:19 P.M. I was the last to say good bye, I am the youngest. We were very close and I miss her very much. But she died knowing that I was going to help others, she knew my determination. I am not an RN yet, I am not even in a nursing program yet, but I am not giving up and I WILL be a nurse. I feel like GOD lets things happen in peoples lives to help mold them into the people they are supposed to be. Although my mom was sick for 7 yrs. I never thought that day would come when she wouldn't be there anymore. It has been 6 yrs. this Sept. (maybe thats why I am SO sentimental right now). But I know that she is still proud of me and watching from above. Although my mom wasn't a nurse she passed on the compassion and kindness in me to be a truly memorable one.

When I was eight years old, my mother got into a really bad car accident. She and her five friends were on their way to Las Vegas when she lost control of our van. Yes, she was the driver. Bystanders say that the van rolled over at least ten times and someone was thrown out of it too. Unfortunately, one of the passengers did not live but luckily, my mother did. The doctors called her a miracle. Majority of the driver's that get into major car accidents do not survive and if they did, they probably wouldn't be able to walk ever again. My mother survived with, what my family calls, minimal injuries.

I could just remember the first day she came home after several weeks in the hospital. There wasn't a dry eye in our home. My mother came home wearing, literally a cage on her head known as a halo. It was attached to her head by four pins, two around the orbitals, and the other two behind the ear. The halo prevented further injuries to the spinal cord.

My mom had the halo for eight months and during those eight months, my maternal instincts, my passion for taking care of others was exemplified. I fed my mother, I gave her bed baths, and I assisted her going to the bathroom. I had to act as if I was her mother. I only left her side to attend school other than that, I felt it was my duty to be beside her at all times. It hurt me to see her in pain. There were days where I would go to the bathroom and cry to myself and come out a little later with a smile on my face. Its what I had to do in order to show my mom that everything was going to be all right.

Sure enough, eight months later, my mom had the halo removed and she looked like she was back to normal. She had scars here and there but she was able to move her whole body and most importantly, walk.

My family was being tested on how close and how much we love and care for each other. It was the most difficult thing my family had ever experienced. When I cared for my mother, I decided that I wanted to be in a profession that would help heal people. Nurses seem to have the most direct contact with their patients. As a nurse, I'd want to know that I have impacted someone's health in a positive way. I want to look back and be proud of helping others as I helped my mother get her health back.

I always had an interest in the human body and why and how it functions the way it does. I also have a deep interest in how the mind works. So I figured it would be best for me to go into psych nursing.

The nurse who stepped in for only a few moments while I was in labor with my first child...she showed compassion that was inspiring. I had a strong curiousity toward the medical field...that and the program for nursing was 30 minutes from my home, and the college that I would have to go to become a teacher was 90 minutes away.

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